Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-08-10
/ ress ind Aakptaiaa
A DtpLoaABLE SITUATION.
southern Wisconsin, and Northern
Illinois Harmed by the DrOuth.

Southern Wisconsin and Northern
Illinois Knrned by the EsrOuth.
Chicago special: A local paper, sum-
ming up the many reports received by
1t OF the droutLs, prairie fires, ruined
crops, ETC., says this morning: There is
an area Of perhaps rs, goo square miles
in the northwest where the dust lies
heavily apon the earth. The district Is
bounded by Madison ON the north,
Bloomington the south, Lake Michigan
on the east and the Mias,ssippi riyer IN
the west. 1t IL within the limits OF these
boundaries that vegetation has lost it's
normal color and the earth it's moisture.
1t has been nearly ten weeks since O
soaking rain Tell IN this district, The
big bull thistle-ths pest of nearly every
tarm--has at last succrmbed to the fate
of oil other vegetetion.
In southern Wisconsin there are
thousands OF acres where corn will not
yield 8 peek TO tho acre. The crop has
been scorched and almost totally
destroyed. s.s
Wells have run dry, and in come towns
water fanines are imminent. The
drinking water at hand is often polluted
and filed with poisonous germs. Ty-
phoid fever Is becoming more prevalent
and dyBentery and other stomach dis
turbanees are SO common in some places
as to be almost epidemic. The intense
heat has been q terrible strain upon
man, but its effect upon cattle has been
simply appalling. The poor beasts have
become 30 emaaIated al to be wholly I'M
marketable The farmers in the dairy
districts have in some instances been
compelled to feed and water their COWS
fromytheir own larder. In other places
forest trees have been felled and dragged
to the pastures and the cattle turned
loose to browse upon fhs leaves. at
Winslow, Ill, one farmer bought 10
head OF cattle last January at $50 per
head, When he offered to sell the en-.
tire hero Last week for 800, he could
not find q purchaser. In ONE places
fences have been run through corn
fields and the Starving cattle permitted
to feed upon the leaves and stalks.
When these have been eaten the fences
ore extended until the entire fields have
been eaten clean. The tall grass of the
prairie is dead, and fields are ready &c
burst into flame and leaves lie in heaps
in the forest. A spark starts q fire and
the blistering Sahara-like wind fans the
lame into q conHagration. Already the
land eHHoompassed by the boundaries
has been plackened by wild fires. Thous.
lands Of acres have been swept
Iby the flames in eastern Wis,
conain and the loss to farmers
IN hay, grain, fencing and buildings il
very great. Above Madison the bogs
are burning freely. and the pungen,
smoke hangs over this cDuntryfor miles
aroupd. The northern Illinois fires are
so numerous that the farmers have
lplowed the ground about their, build
ings in order to check the spread of the
flames, In some parts of the district
the drought is so terrible that butter
nuts and walnuts have fallen from The
trees. PPotatos5. when taken from sheii
beds of ashes. look like crab apples
They wrinkied and springy and unfit fol
for food. There is also great scarcity
Of milk owing3to the inability of cows Il
find nutritious food.